Device for harvesting randomly grown plants

ABSTRACT

An accumulator for mounting on the front end of a harvester for harvesting randomly grown plants in strips of a predetermined width wherein the accumulator comprises a pair of plant-gathering arms adapted to astride and collect between them a given patch of plants. A platform mounted below the arms is provided with a protrusion extending forwardly of the accumulator between the arms for defining with each arm a plant passageway. A shaft having mounted on it a knife is rotated adjacent one of the passageways for cutting some of the plants as they pass through the accumulator. The remainder of the plants are uncut and support in upright position the cut plants.

United States Patent Kappelman et al. 1 Feb. 29, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR HARVESTING 2,949,716 8/1960 Thomson ..56/l4.3 RANDOMLY GROWN PLANTS 3,035,387 5/1962 Bevill ..56/28 3,533,224 10/1970 Keck ..56/28 [72] Inventors: Beluamm Oscar Kappelman, 1042 E.

Campus; Marion 1. Vance, Route 2 Box P E R 550 Kyrene Drive, both of Tempe, Ariz. z zigjs 'zzzg i g ij i i 85281 [22] Filed: May 22, 1970 ABSTRACT [21] A N 39,727 An accumulator for mounting on the front end of a harvester for harvesting randomly grown plants in strips of a predetermined width wherein the accumulator comprises a pair of [22] :J.S.((:Ill 56431141.; Planbgathefing arms adapted to amide and collect between 'E 1 l9 3 them a given patch of plants. A platform mounted below the l 1 o are 6 l 4 1 arms is provided with a protrusion extending forwardly of the accumulator between the arms for defining with each arm a plant passageway. A shaft having mounted on it a knife is [56] References cued 1 rotated adjacent one of the passageways for cutting some of UNITED STATES PATENTS the plants as they pass through the accumulator. The remainder of the plants are uncut and support in upright posi- Edmonds on the cut plants 2,682,141 6/1954 Ellis ....56/29 2,836,026 5/1958 Gray et a]. ..56/119 10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 2, 197

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 9 II%W 0 Man Y i 0M5. E d JIM T a N 1 wwm R 0 q /|.IIII I. m pfl 1 0 6 VflV T 0 K T 0 3 m .L A 2 Q I 5 Mm d 5 a M 3, mm 4 1 6 W m DEVICE FOR HARVESTING RANDOMLY. GROWN PLANTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to agricultural machinery and more particularly to cotton-picking apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention 1 With the advent of mechanical pickers, cotton is planted in rows spaced a predetermined distance apart. The stalks, if watered enough, grow tall and contain many cotton bolls resulting in what heretofore was though of as a bountiful harvest.

Mechanical picking apparatus straddling one or more rows was then driven through the fields to pick the cotton. The prior art picking devices knocked down enough of the cotton to result in the need for cotton salvaging devices to retrieve whatis known as down cotton, i.e., cotton knocked to the ground during a previous picking operation. Retrieving of down cotton also involved the problem of separating dirt from the retrieved cotton.

2. Description of the prior Art Cotton-picking agricultural apparatus have been perfected to pickcotton from row-planted cotton stalks but means are needed to increase the cotton yield per acre if cotton planting and harvesting in this country is to stay profitable. Since the mechanical picker has been perfected from row-planted cotton, any change of it to harvest randomly planted cotton would require extensive design changes with resulting labor costs and production delays. Therefore, a need exists for an attachment which will make the present row-harvesting apparatus capable of cutting and harvesting randomly grown cotton.

By randomly planting and growing cotton between defined rows not only can a lot more stalks of cotton be planted per acre, but smaller stalks may be grown requiring less watering during the growing season. Smaller stalks may contain less cotton bolls than row-planted taller stalks but the number of plants grown per acre can be greatly increased thereby increasing the yield per dollar spent.

To accomplish the cutting and harvesting of randomly grown cotton between givenrows with modern day harvesting equipment'requires, as disclosed and claimed herein, a new and improved accumulating device for cotton harvesters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention claimed a new and improved accumulating device is provided for cotton-harvesting apparatus which makes it possible to harvest randomly spaced cotton stalks grown between spaced rows or grown in longitudinal'patches of predetermined widths.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a new and "improved accumulating device for cotton-harvesting machinery for row and randomly grown cotton stalks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved accumulator for randomly grown cotton stalks which movesthem in a converging direction to the accumulator of present-day row harvesters.

A further object of this invention is to provide an accumulator for selectively cutting randomly grown stalks and moving the cut stalks and uncut stalks through a throatlike structure to a cotton-harvesting device.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an adapter for a cotton harvester for harvesting strips of randomly spaced cotton stalks, which stalks are fed to the harvester inthe same manner as row-planted cotton stalks.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an adapter for a cotton harvester which selectively cuts some cotton stalks and interwines the cut stalks with uncut stalks so that'when passed through the harvester the cut stalks remain in their normal upright position.

A still furtherobject of this invention is to provide a new and improved adapter for present-day harvesting machines which increases the usefulness and product life of the machine without design changes.

A still further object of this invention is to decrease the cost of picking areas of increased plant density.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention may be more readily described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a side elevational view partly broken away of a device constructed in accordance withthe teaching of the present invention and showing its attachment to the front end of a modern cotton-harvesting machine;

FIG. 2 is a left end view of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 taken along the line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a modification of the cutter and cotton stalk walkers shown in FIGS. 1-5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modification of the device shown in FIG. 1 wherein two cutting blades cut all of a given strip of cotton plantings;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGS. 4 and 7 wherein the device is further modified to out two portions of a given strip of cotton leaving a center portion of the strip uncut;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a further modification of FIGS. 4, 7 and 8 wherein a single cutting arrangement is shown for cutting a first portion of a strip and a second portion of the width of the strip is passed through the device uncut;

FIG. 10 shows the intertwining of a cut and uncut planting of cotton; and

FIG. 11 shows a further modification of FIG. 3 wherein the first two shafts of the device are laterally adjustable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of reference, FIGS. 1-5 illustrate the front end of a self-driven harvester 10 having mounted on it a new and improved device 11 for harvesting randomly grown plants which may be, for example, cotton stalks 12.

Device 11 may comprise one or more accumulators 13 mounted on the front end of harvester 10 for straddling a given width of randomly planted cotton. Each of the two accumulators shown in FIG. 2 are identical so only one will be described in detail. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the number of accumulators added to a modern harvester since more'than the pair shown may be used, but is particularly directed to the method and structure of feeding, cutting and moving randomly grown cotton stalks into a modern day cotton harvester.

Each of the accumulators comprises a frame 14 for vertically supporting a pair of spacedly arranged horizontally mounted cutters 16, I6 and one or more pairs of vertically supported crop-moving means such as walkers 17, l7; 18, 18; and 19, 19 for moving the cut cotton stalks into harvester 10.

The frame for each accumulator comprises, inter alia, a horizontally arranged top platform or shelves 21, 21'. These shelves are bolted to bracket 20 so as to be adjustably angu- Iarly positioned with respect to each other. The angular position of each platform relative to the'other is determined by bracket arms 22, 22', respectively. Each bracket arm is pro-' vided with a plurality of holes 23, 23' at each end to permit various angular positioning of platform or shelves 21, 21 relative to each other in a well-known manner.

The frameof accumulators 13 further comprises horizontally arranged bottomshelves 25, 25' which are pivotally bolted to horizontal plates or angle iron brackets 26, 26. The relative angular position of shelves 25, with each other is adjustable by bolts 27, 27' extending within arcuate slots 28, 28 formed in a horizontal platform 29. As shown in FIG. I the horizontal platform 29 may be provided with an extension 29a which extends under the cotton-picking fingers of harvester l0.

Platform 29 is welded to brackets 26, 26 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and is provided with a toothlike protrusion for separating the cotton stalks and directing them toward the cutters 16, 16. Although the platform 29 is shown substantially horizontally with the ground and the cutters 16 and 16 and walkers l7, 17'; 18, 18'; and 19, 19 substantially vertically arranged thereto, it is shown in FIG. 1 that the device 11 may be tilted downwardly a given angle b so that the plant stalks are handled as hereinafter described.

In orderto expedite the movement of the cotton stalks into the area of cutters 16, 16 each accumulator is provided with curved skins or upright housing members 31, 31' which cooperate as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to not only enclose the accumulator structure but to form arms of a plant-gathering mechanism which define plant passageways 32, 32' with protrusion 30. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, platform 29 is further provided with a plurality of slots 33 and 34 which provide passageways for the dirt, stones and etc., picked up by the accumulator to drop back again to the ground.

As further noted from FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings the cutters 16, 16' and walkers 17, I7; 18, 18 and l9, 19' are suitably journaled in shelves 21, 21 and 25, 25'. Any movement of the top shelf for relative adjustment of the cutters and walkers cause relative movement of the lower shelves and when properly positioned bolts 27, 27 are fixedly secured in slots 28, 28' to lock in that given relationship the cutter and walker structures.

Referring more particularly to cutter 16, 16' each cutter comprises a stationary knife blade 34a, 34a appropriately fixed to platform 29. Cooperating with these stationary knife blades are rotary knife blades 35, 35 mounted on and suitably circumferentially spaced around shafts 36, 36', respectively. The cutters 16, 16 further comprise cylindrical housing 37, 37' extending longitudinally of shafts 36, 36 between shelves 21, 21 and 25, 25. Circumferentially spaced around and mounted on housing 37, 37' and longitudinally thereof are a plurality of right-angle brackets 39, 39'. These brackets grab the cut cotton stalks l2 and move them into the accumulator upon rotation of the shaft and housing structure.

Each of the walkers 17, l7; 18, I8 and 19, 19' have cylindrical housings 40, 40; 41, 41' and 42, 42', mounted shafts 43, 43; 44, 44; and 45, 45, respectively. Each shaft is suitably joined in shelves 21, 21 and 25, 25 in the same manner as shafts 36, 36. Each cylindrical housing extends longitudinally of its associated shaft and is secured thereto for rotation therewith. Circumferentially spaced around their outer peripheries and longitudinally of the cylindrical housing are a plurality of angle brackets 39, 39' which move back into the accumulator the cut cotton stalks in the same manner as angle brackets 39, 39' ofhousing 37,37.

The cylindrical housings forming the walkers 17, 17; 18, I8 and 19, 19' are arranged in a converging manner, as shown, so that the cut cotton stalks are passed from one rotating cylindrical housing to another until they reach the entrance ways 46, 46' of harvester 10. When device 10 is tilted downwardly by angle b as shown in FIG. 1, the tops of the stalks are moved into the accumulator before the bottoms of the stalks. This may be important when some of the stalks remain uncut as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings so that the tops of the cut stalks intertwine with the tops of the uncut stalks before being cut and moved through the accumulators.

Shafts 36, 36'; 43, 43; 44, 44; and 45, 45' arejournaled as mentioned before in shelves 21, 21 and 25, 25' and project through the bearings formed in the upper shelves 21, 21 sufficiently to mount upon their extruding ends chain sprockets 50, 50'; 51, 51'; 52, 52' and 53,53, respectively.

The speed of the smaller cylindrical housings in the converging direction of the throat handles the increased quantity of cotton stalks approaching the narrow neck of the accumulator. Thus, an overloading or jamming of the accumulator does not occur.

Sprockets 50, 50', S1, 51; 52, 52' and 53, 53' are driven by sprocket chains 54, 54 from sprockets 50, 50', respectively. Sprockets 50, 50' are driven by any suitable means which may be for example, electric or hydraulic motors 56, 56' driven directly by harvester l0. Motors 56, 56 are suitably mounted on a bracket 57, 57 which at least partially encloses the sprocket and chain drive arrangement.

In accordance with the invention claimed, cotton stalks randomly grown are gathered into the accumulators by the protrusions 30, 30, and the skins 31, 31' forming the nozzles 32, 32. The cutters l6, 16' which may employ both stationary and moving cutting blades or only the moving cutting blade as well known in the art, cut the gathered plants and immediately walk or move them back into the accumulator structure where the walkers 17, I7; l8, l8, and l9, l9 sequentially take the cut stalks and move them into the opening 46, 46, of the accumulator of the harvester where the bolls are separated from the stalks.

In FIG. 6 a modification of the walker structure 17, 17; I8, 18; and 19, 19' is shown. In this modification the walkers 17 and 18 are removed and a cylindrical housing 60 minus the angle brackets of cylindrical housing 42 of FIG. 4 is substituted therefor. A belt 61 is tightly fitted around cylindrical housing 37 and housing 60 which forms a moving surface for moving the cut cotton stalks into the throat of the accumulator.

FIG. 7 illustrates that two spaced rows of cotton plants 12 may be readily moved through the accumulator 13, cut in route and moved into the harvester 10.

If desired as illustrated in FIG. 8 the platform 29 and protrusion 30 may be modified to comprise two parts 29a and 29b each with a toothlike protrusion 30a and 30b. Platform 29a and 29b are separated a predetermined distance to define a passageway 46a through the accumulator 13 so that one or more rows of cotton stalks or randomly spaced stalks may move through the accumulator without being cut.

The protrusions 30a and 30b together with the skins 31 and 31' direct the outer of the three rows shown in FIG. 8 into the accumulator 13' where they are cut and moved into contact with and intertwined with the center uncut row of cotton. If the accumulator was tilted forward by angle b as heretofore explained the intertwining of the tops of the cut stalks of cotton in the outer rows shown in FIG. 8 will occur before the outer rows have been cut. Therefore, the cut rows will remain standing as shown in FIG. 10 after being cut and moved through accumulator 13' and harvester 10. This important function will permit the harvester to harvest a field more than once if unripe bolls remain on the cut and uncut stalks or if some cotton bolls were missed during a previous picking operation.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modification of the structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the accumulator 62 comprises the same walkers, cutting blades, etc., as shown in FIGS. 1-5 for the left side of the accumulator but the right side of the accumulator has been modified by removing knife blades 35 from shaft 36 but retaining the angle brackets 39. Further the platform 29 comprises two parts 290 and 29d which defines a passageway 63 through the accumulator adjacent the shafts 36, 43, 44 and 45 and their respective cylindrical surfaces 37, 40, 41 and 42 and angle brackets 39. The cylindrical surfaces of these shafts are intended to move through the accumulator one or more rows of uncut cotton stalks.

Part 29d of the platform is provided with a toothlike protrusion 30c which functions in the same manner as one-half of the protrusion 30 to direct one or more rows of cotton stalks into the cutting blades 34a, 35' to cut the stalks and then move them through the accumulator as heretofore described.

FIG. 11 illustrates a further modification of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-6 wherein accumulator 13" comprises the walker structure 17, 17', 18, 18' and 19, 19. ln this modification shafts 36 and 43 are rotatably mounted on shelves similar to shelves 21, 21' and 25, 25' as described for FIGS. 1-5 except that each shelf is divided into two parts 21a, 21a and 21b, 21b and 25a, 25a and 25b, 25b. Since only shelf parts 21a, 21b are shown for purposes of illustration it is believed that its description in view of the preceding description for FIGS. 1-5 will render the structure clear to one skilled in the By pivotally mounting shelf part 21b about bolt 69, shafts 36 and 43 can be rotatably positioned to control the diverging walls of the passageway through the accumulator. The relative angular position of the parts 210 and 21b to each other is adjustable by bolt 70 extending within arcuate slot 71 formed in part 21a of the horizontal platform.

Although but a few embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An accumulator for harvesting randomly grown plants of stalklike configuration for mounting on a harvester comprising in combination: a frame, a pair of plant-gathering arms mounted on said frame and adapted to astride and collect between them a given patch of plants, said arms comprising upright members mounted on said frame and converging inwardly of said accumulator, a platform mounted on said frame below said arms, said platform being provided with a protrusion extending forwardly of said accumulator between said arms for defining with each of said arms at least one passageway for said stalklike configuration into said accumulator, a shaft'rotatably mounted on said frame one adjacent each passageway, one of said shafts having at least one knife rotated thereby for cutting at least some of the plants as they move through the adjacent passageway.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said platform provides at least a pair of passageways through the accumulator, only one of said shafts having a knife rotated thereby for cutting said plants, the shaft adjacent the other passageway being knifeless and-causing the stalklike configuration to pass through the accumulator uncut.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said one of said shafts is provided with a plurality of knives spacedly arranged around its circumference.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said arms each comprise outer plates mounted on said frame and each formed to provide an inverted curve and converging inwardly into said accumulator.

5. An accumulator for harvesting randomly grown stalklike configurations for mounting on a harvester comprising in combination a frame, a pair of plant-gathering arms mounted on said frame and adapted to astride and collect between them a given patch of growing plants, said arms comprising upright members mounted on said frame and converging inwardly into said accumulator, a substantially horizontally arranged twopiece platformmounted on said frame below said arms, said two-piece platform being provided with a protrusion extending forwardly of said accumulator between said arms for providing with each of said arms a different converging passageway into said accumulator, the pieces of said twopiece platform defining between them a slot to provide one path for uncut plants to pass through said slot and said accumulator and a second path for out plants to pass over said platform and through said accumulator, a plurality of pairs of spaced shafts rotatably mounted on said frame laterally of and above said platform, said shafts being provided with cylindrical surfaces and so arranged so that their cylindrical surfaces define a converging chute through the accumulator; one of said pairs of shafts being mounted adjacent each of said passageways, said shaft of said one of said pairs positioned adjacent said second passageway having at least one knife mounted thereon, means for rotating said shafts, and means mounted on at least some of cylrndrrcal surfaces of sard shafts for moving the cut and uncut plants through the accumulator upon rotation of said shafts.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for moving the cut plants through the accumulator comprise ridges mounted longitudinally of an on the cylindrical surfaces of said shafts.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said means comprises ridges provided on the cylindrical surfaces of each of said shafts and each of the ridges on the cylindrical surfaces of the shafts pass the cut plants to the next cylindrical surface of the next shaft in the direction of convergence of said chute.

8. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein the diameters of the cylindrical surfaces of said pairs of shafts are of decreasing size as they converge in said chute.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for rotating said shafts comprises a common chain drive for engaging sprockets on each shaft of corresponding diameter to the diameters of the cylindrical surfaces of the associated shafts.

10. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein said means mounted on at least some of said cylindrical surfaces for moving the cut plants through the accumulator is a belt driven by said shafts. 

1. An accumulator for harvesting randomly grown plants of stalklike configuration for mounting on a harvester comprising in combination: a frame, a pair of plant-gathering arms mounted on said frame and adapted to astride and collect between them a given patch of plants, said arms comprising upright members mounted on said frame and converging inwardly of said accumulator, a platform mounted on said frame below said arms, said platform being provided with a protrusion extending forwardly of said accumulator between said arms for defining with each of said arms at least one passageway for said stalklike configuration into said accumulator, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame one adjacent each Passageway, one of said shafts having at least one knife rotated thereby for cutting at least some of the plants as they move through the adjacent passageway.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said platform provides at least a pair of passageways through the accumulator, only one of said shafts having a knife rotated thereby for cutting said plants, the shaft adjacent the other passageway being knifeless and causing the stalklike configuration to pass through the accumulator uncut.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said one of said shafts is provided with a plurality of knives spacedly arranged around its circumference.
 4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said arms each comprise outer plates mounted on said frame and each formed to provide an inverted curve and converging inwardly into said accumulator.
 5. An accumulator for harvesting randomly grown stalklike configurations for mounting on a harvester comprising in combination a frame, a pair of plant-gathering arms mounted on said frame and adapted to astride and collect between them a given patch of growing plants, said arms comprising upright members mounted on said frame and converging inwardly into said accumulator, a substantially horizontally arranged two-piece platform mounted on said frame below said arms, said two-piece platform being provided with a protrusion extending forwardly of said accumulator between said arms for providing with each of said arms a different converging passageway into said accumulator, the pieces of said two-piece platform defining between them a slot to provide one path for uncut plants to pass through said slot and said accumulator and a second path for cut plants to pass over said platform and through said accumulator, a plurality of pairs of spaced shafts rotatably mounted on said frame laterally of and above said platform, said shafts being provided with cylindrical surfaces and so arranged so that their cylindrical surfaces define a converging chute through the accumulator; one of said pairs of shafts being mounted adjacent each of said passageways, said shaft of said one of said pairs positioned adjacent said second passageway having at least one knife mounted thereon, means for rotating said shafts, and means mounted on at least some of cylindrical surfaces of said shafts for moving the cut and uncut plants through the accumulator upon rotation of said shafts.
 6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for moving the cut plants through the accumulator comprise ridges mounted longitudinally of an on the cylindrical surfaces of said shafts.
 7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said means comprises ridges provided on the cylindrical surfaces of each of said shafts and each of the ridges on the cylindrical surfaces of the shafts pass the cut plants to the next cylindrical surface of the next shaft in the direction of convergence of said chute.
 8. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein the diameters of the cylindrical surfaces of said pairs of shafts are of decreasing size as they converge in said chute.
 9. The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for rotating said shafts comprises a common chain drive for engaging sprockets on each shaft of corresponding diameter to the diameters of the cylindrical surfaces of the associated shafts.
 10. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein said means mounted on at least some of said cylindrical surfaces for moving the cut plants through the accumulator is a belt driven by said shafts. 